Gun recoil, flash and sound reducer assembly



E. G. DAHL 3,

cuu RECOIL, FLASH AND souun REDUCER ASSEMBLY Jan. 5, 1965 Filed Feb. 20, 1963 INVENTOR Edwin G. Dah/ vn mm Q vwmvwv Q Q 6R ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to a gun recoil, flash and sound reducer assembly and has for an object to provide an improved recoil, flash and sound reducer assembly to be installed on any type of gun or to be made integral with the gun barrel, from shotguns and handguns to'rifles or cannons, to convert the gas pressure, normally wasted after combustion, into a force that will pull the weapon forward, thus counter-acting the kick or recoil, and incidentally reduce the sound by changing its pitch, and likewise reduce the flash, such reduction of sound and flash being easily discernible to the ear and eye. 7

A further object of this invention is toprovide a gun recoil, flash and sound reducer assembly that is small and neat, wherein all the thrust of the gas or explosion is completely used on the inside of the reducer assembly device.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a reducer assembly which not only reduces the recoil flash and sound, but also partially reduces the normal upthrust present in a gun, it being understood that the term, gun, as used throughout this specification means any type or size of gun, whether a small handgun or a large cannon or rifle or shotgun, or anything in between. i

It is thus a further object of this invention to make the gun more eflicient, the reduction of the flash or the flare, as well as the recoil being especially valuable in military use.

With the above and related objects in view, this invenice . At the end of the threads 28 on the plug 16, there is provided an'externally extending flange 30 having a surface 32 which is machined, flat and complementary to the end surface of the housing 14 so that when the plug 16 is threaded into the housing14 the surface 32 provides a sealing surface against the end of the housing 14, the

flange Stlbeing knurled at 34 to facilitate inserting the inner member or plug 16 into the outer member or housing 14. It'will be noted that the complementary threads 28 on the plug 16 and threads26 in the forward end of the housing 14 are-precisely measured, and likewise the threads 16 on the gun muzzle neck 17 and complementary threads 2% on the rear end of the housing end 14 are similarly precisely measured so that when the plug 16 is inserted in the housing 14 and the housing 14 is threaded on the neck 17 against the gun muzzle 18, a rearwardly inclined vent 36 in the internal plug 16 will be in axial alignment with the bottom of the gun barrel 12. This vent 36 is located closely adjacent the portion on the plug 16 having the threads 28 and extends to an annular space 38 between the-rear portion of the plug 16 and the housing 14.

In the form'of invention shown in FIG. 1 the plug 16 has two segmentally contoured flanges .at 40 and 42 shaped substantially as shown. Each of these flanges 40 and 42 extent outwardly into the annular space33toward but stopping just short of the internally cylindrical ment with the inclined aperture 36. 7

tion consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the muzzle end of the gun barrel on which the reducer assembly of this invention is in the process of being attached, the assembly being shown partly in section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner member or plug of the reducer assembly. 1

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of FIGS. 1

and 4.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the reducer assembly completely installed on the muzzle end of the gun barrel, but in a modified form for use with a shotgun.

There is shown at 10 the reducer assembly of this invention for converting the energy of the explosive and propulsion gases of any type of gun into a forward thrust on the gun barrel 12 to thus partly overcome the normal recoil, and simultaneously reduce the sound and flash and, in addition, to reduce the upthrust normal with every type of gun.

This reducer assembly 10 consists generally of two separable parts, an outer cylindrical housing or member 14,

- providing a housing for aninner cylindrical plug or member 16. The housing 14 may form an integral part of the gun barrel 12, or may be threadedly attached to threads on a muzzle neck 17 extending from the gun muzzle 18, the housing 14 having a complementary thread 20 mating with the threads on neck 17 and in fully assembled position, the housing 14 is abutted tight against the muzzle 18, as shown in the modified form inFIG 4.

At the end of the threads 20, the housing 14 flares outwardly in a conical shape as at 22 to a substantially internally cylindrical portion 24 which is internally threaded at 26 at the forward end of the housing 14. The inner FIG. 2 and is provided with mating threads 28.

The flange 42 is provided with similarly segmented edgesStl and 52, and these are in out-of-phase relationship to the segmented edges'46 and 48 of flange 40. It

will be also noted that the flange 42 is spaced from the for threaded attachment on the muzzle neck 17 against the muzzle 18ofthe gun barrel 12, it is obvious that the housing 14 may be permanently attached on the gun muzzle 12 when it is made as an initial part thereof, it may be welded or braised thereto or be anintegral part of the gun barrel 12 so long as it is provided with the outwardly flared internal cone 22 leading to the cylindrical surface 24 and internal threads 26.

The plug ldisprovided with an internal bore 58 which is very slightly larger in internal diameter and is in alignment with the bore 60 through the gun barrel 12. I,

V In operation, the bulletor projectile, after leaving the muzzle neck 17, traveling through the bore 61), enters into the bore 53 of the plug 16; Then the gas pressure behind,

traveling at a greater speed than the projectile when released, entersbetween the cone surfaces 22 and 54 into the annular space 38 and is directed first against the first baflle flange 42 which fits very snugly againstbut is just short of contact with the inner cylindrical surface '24, part of the gas pressure exerting a forward thrust against the circular portions of the flange 42,and part of the gas pressurebypassing the segmentededges 50 and 52, exerts a forward thrust against the baffle flange 40. I

Due'to the out-of-phase relationship of the segmented unsegmented portions of edges, a completebaffling is provided in a complete ciras cle yet the gases still bypass the batlle at their segmented edges and continue along in a tortuous path in the annular space 38 and provide a forward thrust against the shoulder 62 at the end of the annulus 33. The gases thus provide a forward thrust to this reducer assembly 16 and thus a forward thrust on the barrel 12, thus overcoming a substantial part of the recoil, mechanical tests with a handgun having proven that this reduces the backthrust or recoil thirty-six percent or more.

Next,-part of the gases escape in a jet through the inclined vent which is at the bottom of the plug 16 when in assembled form and is in alignment with the bottom of the gun barrel 12, as already described, to provide a downthrust partly reducing or overcoming the normal upthrust' present in ever gun. It has also been found that the travel of the gases passing the balles in the annular space changes the pitch of the sound and thus reduces the sound, and, in addition, the flash from the gases is likewise less visible inasmuch as the gases have to travel through and around the bafiles in the annulus 38 before they can escape partly through the vent 36 and, of course, partly back through the annulus and out through the bore 58 in the plug 16.

The energy of the explosion gases which normally provide or cause the recoil, as well as the sound and the flash, are thus converted to reduce the recoil, reduce the sound, reduce the flash and due to the presence of the location of the aperture or vent 3d to reduce the upthrust of the muzzle end of the gun barrel 12. The 1 rinciples of this energy converter or reducer assembly it) may be applied to any size of handgun, cannon or shotgun.

The bullet or projectile does not necessarily touch the bore 58 but does fit closely and while the bore 58 is in axial alignment with the gun barrel bore 63, it need not fit the bullet as snugly as does the bore 65 for the gases are no longer confined behind it but escape in large part into the annular space 38 and no longer provide any substantial amount of push on the projectile, at least not as great as while traveling through the bore as.

The chamber provided by the annular space 38 is held to a minimum capacity to utilize the pressure normally wasted. A larger capacity would not be efiicient because the amount of gas pressure that can be captured therein is limited. The rear end 55 of the plug 16 is normally approximately one-s xteenth of an inch away from the end of the muzzle neck 17 of the gun barrel 12, leaving a space between the outwardly flared taper 22 of the housing 14 and the cone-shaped taper 54- on the plug for the gas pressure to be directed into the annular space 38 against the bafiles provided by the segmented flanges 40 and 42. All the venting is internal and the assembly is small, neat, tight and efiicient.

In FIG. 4, the modification of this invention to a shotgun is illustrated, this modified reduction of assembly or energy converter 79 being identical in principle with the reducer assembly at Ill, but due to the fact that in a shotgun, a slower moving load, such as shots and wads, moves more slowly and transmits most of its energy and recoil before the load, the wads and the shot, or Slug, reach the energy converter. Vhen tested, shotguns show a ten percent reduction in recoil and a definite reduction in noise.

In this modified form, five baffles are provided, one at 72 corresponding to the baffie at 40, and four at 74, 76, 78 and 80 corresponding to the baffle 42, all being segmentally contoured in out-of-phase relationship in the same manner as the bafiles 40 and 42 and all extending into the annulus base 82 corresponding to the annular space 38. However, instead of merely one vent 36 as in the plug 16, the internal plug 82 is provided with four vents, S6, 88, 90 and 92, one vent 86 ahead of baflle '72, and three vents spaced between the next bafiles and located along the bottom line thereof as assembled on the shotgun bore 94. In addition, the bore 94 through the internal plug 34 may be flared at its entrance somewhat as at 96 so as to insure that the wad and shot will readily enter the bore 94 and then the bore 94 may be further choked down at 93 as is customary with shotgun chokes. Otherwise, the operation and construction of this modified form is identical with that of the first described form at 15 and the foregoing description otherwise applies hereto.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention'may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus .set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claime'djis:

1. A gun recoil, flash and sound reducer assembly comprisingan outer elongate cylindrical hollow imperforate tubular housing arranged to fixedly extend at its rear end from the forward end of a gun barrel, a relatively smaller inner elongate hollow tubular plug disposed concentrically within and in partly annular spaced relationship to said housing, imperforate annular means sealably securing said plug to said housing at their forward ends remote from the gun barrel allixing end, the rear end of said plug adjacent the gun barrel end being somewhat spaced therefrom providing an annular gas flow passage from the gun barrel bore to the annular space between said plu and housing, said plu'g having a bore in axial alignment with the bore of the gun, and a plurality of annular flange battle means extending outwardly from said plug into said annular space toward and in snug contact with said housing each of said bafile means having a flat peripheral portion axially displaced with respect to the fiat peripheral portion on adjacent baflle means.

2. The reducer assembly of claim 1, said plug having a single apertured gas vent means from its bore to said annular space, said gas passage vent being located between said baille means and said imperforate annular forward end securing means, said apertured gas vent means being in substantial alignment with the bottom of the gun barrel and providing upthrust reduction thereto.

3. The reducer assembly of claim 1, said annular flange baille' means having the flat peripheral portions on adjacent flanges in radially disposed out-of-phase relationship. 7

4. The reducer assembly oi claim 1, said annular flange bafile means comprising at least a pair of annular, axially spaced apart flanges, each flange havingoppositely spaced flat peripheral edges thereon, the flat peripheral edges of one flange being in out-of-phase relationship with the flat peripheral edges ofthe other flange.

5. The reducer assembly of claim 4, said plug having a single reversely inclined vent from its axial bore to said annular space between said bafile means and said sealing forward end between said plug and housing and in substantial alignment with the bottom of the gun barrel, providing upthrust reduction thereto.

6. The reducer assembly of claim 4, said plug having a plurality of reversely inclined vents from its axial bore to said anular space between said bafile means'and said sealing forward end between said plug and housing and only in substantial alignment with the bottom of the gun barrel whereby upthrust of said gun barrel is substantially reduced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,112,660 Hudson Mar. 29, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,824 Great Britain July 3, 1919 146,382 Sweden h n, July 27, .1954 

1. A GUN RECOIL, FLASH AND SOUND REDUCER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN OUTER ELONGATE CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW IMPERFORATE TUBULAR HOUSING ARRANGED TO FIXEDLY EXTEND AT ITS REAR END FROM THE FORWARD END OF A GUN BARREL, A RELATIVELY SMALLER INNER ELONGATE HOLLOW TUBULAR PLUG DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN AND IN PARTLY ANNULAR SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID HOUSING, IMPERFORATE ANNULAR MEANS SEALABLY SECURING SAID PLUG TO SAID HOUSING AT THEIR FORWARD ENDS REMOTE FROM THE GUN BARREL AFFIXED END, THE REAR END OF SAID PLUG ADJACENT THE GUN BARREL END BEING SOMEWHAT SPACED THEREFROM PROVIDING AN ANNULAR GAS FLOW PASSAGE FROM THE SUN BARREL BORE TO THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID PLUG AND HOUSING, SAID PLUG HAVING A BORE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE BORE OF THE GUN, AND A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR FLANGE BAFFLE MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PLUG INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE TOWARD AND IN SNUG CONTACT WITH SAID HOUSING EACH OF SAID BAFFLE MEANS HAVING A FLAT PERIPHERAL PORTION AXIALLY DISPLACED WITH RESPECT TO THE FLAT PERIPHERAL PORTION ON ADJACENT BAFFLE MEANS. 